The Cult of Stone
by Pretty Fly for a Bow Tie
Summary: The Doctor, Amy and Rory are summoned to a remote moon where a bizarre monastery need their help... But is there more beneath the Cult of Stone's surface than meets the eye? Reviews are greatly appreciated! Note - this was written before LKH aired.
1. Part 1: The Paradox Makers

Doctor Who

Strangers in Time

The Cult of Stone

Part 1 – The Paradox Makers

"Right!" The Doctor bounded down the steps towards the console, two at a time. "The Eye of Orion. Lovely place – very tranquil. Waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes... Yeah, you'll love it." He grinned, flicking the appropriate dials and switches. The Time Machine rocked unappreciatively. "Oh come on old girl, I think they need a break." The TARDIS shuddered again, this time more violently. "What?" The Doctor grabbed the monitor hanging from the top of the console and brought it closer to him. "Oh..." He bounced around the hexagonal console, pushing as many levers as he could. "No, no, no no no no! Come on old girl... hold it together!" Explosions erupted across the circuits, and the Doctor was hurled backwards.

"Doctor, what's happening to the TARDIS?" Amy cried. Rory collapsed through the doorway behind her. "Doctor?"

"If I knew that, I'd be able to stop it!" He shouted back, struggling to make himself heard. "Something's drawn her off course – seems like it always happens whenever I mention the Eye of Orion." He muttered under his breath.  
>"Well, can you get her back on course?"<p>

"No: but I can stop her being shredded to pieces!" The Doctor staggered back to the central console, pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket. Slowly, he lifted up one of the panels. An ethereal light spilled across the whole room, and the Doctor plunged his hand inside. "It's got to be around here... somewhere..." The console sparked again, and the Doctor screamed. His body coursed with electricity, and he collapsed to the glass floor.  
>"Doctor... Doctor? DOCTOR!" Amy shrieked. The TARDIS rocked violently, and everything was still.<p>

"My Father." The hooded figure bowed.

"You may speak, my Child."  
>"He has arrived. The Healer has arrived on Veltrax VI, along with his friends."<br>"Excellent..." The other hooded figure purred. "Then this will be a day long remembered."  
>"Yes, Father." The hooded figure, the Child, turned to the stone wall. Its hand thrust out from under a jet black robe, and suddenly a screen was forming in the rock face. A small box formed on the screen, along with two people – a man and a woman. They looked around nervously, before vanishing back into the box.<br>"That's him?" The Father leaned forward in his seat.

"No. Those are his two companions. The Healer has yet to emerge."  
>The Father slumped back. "Very well. Inform me when we have a sighting of him."<p>

"Yes, my Father." The Child bowed, before leaving the chamber.

"The Healer has come to Veltrax VI..." Beneath the hood, a faint smile was forming on a face that had been concealed for centuries. "The last child of Gallifrey – the Last Time Lord. Or so he thinks..."

If any human could have listened to the noise going on in the Doctor's head, then it is likely their ear drums would have shattered in seconds.

Fortunately for the Doctor, he was a Time Lord.

Unfortunately, he could still hear the noise.

"Ooh..." He rubbed his temples slowly. "Remind me not to do that again in a hurry. Ponds?" The Doctor looked around the empty Time Machine. "Ponds? Pond 1 and Pond 2? Earth to Mr and Mrs Pond?"

No response.

The Doctor sighed, clambering clumsily to his feet – by no means an easy task when your head feels like it's about to melt.

"Doctor!" The Doctor noticed Amy and Rory standing in the doorway. Almost immediately, Amy was by his side, wrapping him up in the biggest hug the young Scot could muster. The Doctor smiled, then promptly let her go when he realised her husband was standing metres away. "How's your head?"

"Sore." He sighed, wincing when Amy tried to put her hand on it.

"He could have a concussion." Rory said, inspecting the Doctor. Amy looked at him discerningly. "What? I'm a nurse – it's my job to look after people."

"Yeah, well he's a Doctor."  
>"Who flies around in a magic blue box, fighting monsters and drinking tea. I'm not sure if he wasn't concussed to start with."<p>

"So, where are we then?" The Doctor asked.

"Some gravelly planet full of... well, gravel." Amy trailed off.

"Some gravelly planet full of gravel. Very helpful Pond." He turned towards the doors. "Well, let's go see which gravelly planet is waiting for us." He beamed, darting down to the doors. He grabbed his jacket and shrugged it over his shoulders, trying to make it look halfway respectable. "How do I look?"

Amy went to answer, but the Doctor held out his hand.  
>"Don't answer. Now, let's go."<br>He pulled the doors open, and gazed out at the alien landscape they had materialised on.

Amy was right – there was literally nothing outside but a gravelly desert.

"Ah! Veltrax VI! Sixth Moon of the planet Veltrax. Home to a small colony of farmers, who ended up accidentally winning the war for Tragedii in 189,999 ADD. But that's not for..." he glanced at his watch. "A couple million years, so we should be fine."

Just then, two hooded figures formed on the gravelly path ahead of them. They walked towards the TARDIS slowly, and the Doctor tensed himself.

"Welcome, Healer." Both of the figures bowed in perfect synchronisation.

The Doctor stared at them, his eyebrows rising into his floppy fringe.

"Come, Healer – we require your assistance on a matter of grave importance."

Ten minutes later, the Doctor, Amy and Rory found themselves in a breathtakingly complex temple – fashioned completely out of stone. The staircases were stone, the clocks were stone, the chairs were stone: everything.

"We have prepared for your visit for a long time, Healer. It is wonderful you have finally decided to visit the Cult of Stone."  
>"Thank you. Well, I didn't exactly decide to visit – more my ship was pulled off course..." The Doctor stopped dead in his tracks. "You brought the TARDIS here!"<p>

"We desperately needed your help..." One of the figures mumbled – it was hard to tell which. "It wasn't done out of spite..."  
>The Doctor's body stiffened, before relaxing. "Show me the problem."<p>

The hooded figures bowed again. "Right this way, Healer."

"Why are they calling the Doctor 'Healer'?" Amy whispered.

Rory shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe they think he's an actual Doctor?"

"Well, you'll be able to help them then." She smiled, kissing him lightly on the cheek. Rory's cheeks burned, and he smiled a dopey grin. "Let's go see what all the fuss is about."

"Oh... Now this is interesting." The Doctor was standing at the edge of the small room, Sonic Screwdriver held aloft and lips pursed in concentration. "By the looks of it, a small rift in Time and Space was accidentally created millennia ago. It was sealed ages ago though, but occasionally fallout will spill through the temple and cause minor electrical faults. Nothing to worry about." He smiled, flipping the Sonic absent-mindedly.

"Thank you Doctor. Your services have helped restore order to the Cult."

Amy frowned. "He just waved the Sonic and told you that your computers would go a bit funny sometimes – hardly anything grandiose."

One of the hooded figures turned towards Amy. "It may not have been anything grandiose Miss-"

"Mrs." Rory interrupted.

The hooded figure paused. "_Mrs_ Pond, but this news will reassure those of the Cult who were unsettled by the recent disturbances."

"Hang on. If this is the Cult of Stone, and everything inside is Stone, why do you need electrical equipment?" Rory asked, concerned.

The other hooded figure turned towards him. "We like to... monitor the surface of Veltrax VI, to see if the planet suffers any radical changes in environment or temperature. Then we will document said changes. It is purely a simple exercise."

"But that's the thing – Veltrax VI _doesn't_ change, it doesn't terraform. It hasn't for the last 20 billion years, and it won't in your lifetime. Besides..." The Doctor waved the Sonic around in a sweeping arc, filling the room with the familiar _Whirrrrrr. _He flicked the tool, and the opening sprang outwards. "The only electrical readings I'm getting on the Sonic are those that are normally given off by..." The Doctor froze.

"By what?" Amy asked slowly.

"By nuclear fusion cannons." He stomped towards one of the hooded figures. "Why did you really bring me here? You want something from me, getting that – but what?" The Doctor turned on his heels, surveying the room for any clues. "This monastery is derelict and harmless: well, except for the preposterous amount of nuclear weaponry in the basement – but what could you want me for?" And then it hit the Doctor like a freight train. "Of course..." He glanced at his companions. "Amy, Rory – run!"

The trio sprinted through the doorway and down the stone corridor, as more and more hooded figures assembled behind them. The door was in site, the gate open-

And that was when the corridors filled with electricity.  
>The three time travellers had no time to react – their bodies coursed with energy as they jerked around hopelessly, as the whole world around them descended into stony silence.<p>

The Doctor's eyes snapped open. It seemed, not for the first time today, that something – or someone – had knocked him unconscious. His eyes darted around the room, taking in the surroundings. Stone as far as the eye could see – clearly, they were still in the company of the Cult.

"Ah, Healer. Welcome back to the land of the living." Another hooded figure sat opposite him. They were sat at an elaborately carved table, sitting on finely crafted chairs. The hooded figure parallel to the Doctor was larger than the others, and even with the robe on the Time Lord could still make out the muscles bulging underneath. Amy and Rory also sat at the table, but they had yet to wake up.

"I must say, you have gone to a lot of trouble to make us welcome. From dragging the TARDIS forcefully onto this planet and nearly killing my companions and me, to electrifying us when I cracked your scheme, you've really made quite an impression." The Doctor leaned back in his chair, hands laced behind his head.

The hooded figure grunted. "I apologise for the hostility of my Children. They will learn their place soon enough."

The Doctor regarded the figure, his eyes cold. "The question remains, why go to all this trouble to get to the TARDIS? What do you need it for? You've got tonnes of nuclear weaponry hidden underneath this monastery – I'm afraid they just wouldn't fit inside. Besides, they'd be useless, even if you were able to. So what is it you're really after? A way off of this Moon? No... There's plenty of ways to signal a ship, even in as remote a sector as this. And I can't see you being able to raise an army from one ship, no matter how remarkable she is. So you're after something else... but what?"

A hooded figure emerged from the shadows as the Doctor finished his sentence, carrying a platter holding two stone goblets. Inside each goblet was a sparkling gold liquid. "Healer, if you would accept our hospitality." He gestured towards the goblet. "The finest drink this side of the galaxy. It has learning qualities, and specifically alters its flavour and consistency to the consumer's taste."  
>The Doctor smiled. "'The Drink of Champions'." He took a goblet from the platter, swirling the gold liquid around inside it. "You still haven't answered my question, um..."<br>"Father." The hooded figure finished. "Call me Father."

"You still haven't answered my question, Father." The Doctor sipped the golden liquid, which tasted exactly like Earl Grey the second it touched his lips.

"Healer, you are a veteran of the Time War, are you not?" Father also took a sip from his goblet.

The Doctor's expression hardened. "Yes." He muttered. "The last."

"Indeed." Father's tone changed – suddenly melancholy. "You are the Last of the Time Lords, the last guardian of the universe."

The Doctor smiled sadly. "Well, I wouldn't say the last." He gestured towards the still-unconscious Amy and Rory. "My friends are pretty good at saving the world."

Father laughed. "I'm sure they are. But Healer-"

"Call me the Doctor."  
>"-Doctor, don't you ever grow weary of the fighting and the saving? Don't you ever wish that you could hang up your mantle of Time's Champion, and live a peaceful life?"<br>The Time Lord regarded the statement. "To be honest, I-" He started, before stopping abruptly. Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong. "What have you done to Amy and Rory, why haven't they woken up?" The Doctor asked, his voice grave.

Father laughed again. "Your friends will be fine in due time, Doctor. Just give them time to rest."

"Time to rest..." The Doctor regarded his goblet again, noting the elaborate artwork. It was really rather beautiful – images of angels and kings, lovers and fighters. The only thing he didn't like was the stone finger that was plastered on top of one of the figures.

The stone digit where the Doctor's own index finger should have been.

He dropped the goblet, and it clattered to the stony floor, the golden liquid oozing out like blood. He stared at his finger – his stone finger. There really was no other way to put it. His finger had turned to stone.

"What have you done?" He snarled.  
>The Father stood up, indignant. "I am granting you your request, Doctor. I am giving you everlasting peace."<br>"But – I didn't wish for this!"  
>"Well, it's too late to stop it now!" The hooded figure cackled.<p>

The golden liquid from the Doctor's fallen chalice was now no longer golden – nor a liquid. "You've poisoned me."

"Your body is shutting down, Doctor. Organs, bones, skin – all turning to stone. Think of this as our way of repaying you for all of your hard work over the millennia's."

"While you get the TARDIS to yourself."  
>"We will pick up where your race left off. We will become the new Lords of Time."<p>

The Doctor stumbled over to Amy and Rory. "But you can't just become Time Lords! The weight of responsibility resting on you is maddening, you can't simply-"

"You say that Doctor, but legend says that the Time Lords never interfered in the events of others – only you."

The Doctor glared at the Father. "Because I couldn't stand the Time Lord ways! And neither will you – if nothing else, you'll be insanely bored!" He shook his companions frantically, willing them to awake from their slumber.

"We are many, Doctor, you are one. I feel that if reality ever needs someone to interfere, we have plenty enough numbers." He said darkly.

The Time Lord's temper was diminishing rapidly. "I can't let you do this." He reached into his jacket pocket, and pulled out the Sonic along with two earplugs. He placed one in each ear, and held the screwdriver above his head. "Sorry!"

_WHHHHHHIIIIIIIIIIIRRRRRRRRRRR._

The Father howled in pain, staggering backwards. The Doctor glanced at his companions, looking for the faintest sign of life.

The Doctor had never been so happy to see Amelia Jessica Pond open her eyes in all the time he'd known her.

He pocketed the Sonic, and grinned at her. "Welcome back." He whispered, as Rory jerked upright in his chair too.  
>"Roranicus Pondicus! Nice of you to join us – hang on, that rhymes!" He beamed.<p>

"Doctor, in case you haven't noticed, we're in the middle of a monastery surrounded by crazy monks!" Amy snapped.

"Right, yeah – sorry. Come along, Ponds!" He bolted out of the doorway as the married couple tried to keep up with him. The Father snarled at them as they passed, hurrying after them.

"We need to get to the TARDIS!" The Doctor cried as the number of people following him grew. "And hopefully we won't get electrocuted this time!" He aimed the Sonic at the walls, preventing another painful escape attempt.

"Doctor!" Father snarled, grabbing Amy's wrist and pulling her back. "Make one more move and I kill the girl."  
>"Why do all of your enemies do that?" Rory asked, beginning to see a pattern.<br>"And then I will kill him." The Father added.

"And then they normally do that too."

The Doctor sighed. "Okay, fine. I give up." He raised his arms, placing them behind his head. "Rory, do exactly as I'm doing."  
>"But-"<p>

"Just trust me! I have a plan." The Doctor grinned. "I'm afraid you've rather underestimated my Time Machine, Father." He snapped his fingers.

_CLACK._

_Vworp... Vworp... Vworp... Vworp..._

A large blue box materialised behind the Doctor and Rory. The Father gasped at the sight. Using the distraction to her advantage, Amy weaved through his iron grip and hurtled towards her friends.

The Doctor snapped his fingers again, and the doors swung open.  
>"In, in, in, in!" He shouted as they piled into the Time Machine. "We haven't got long!" The Doctor hurtled up the stairs, flicking switches and pulling levers. "They were able to pull the TARDIS off course and onto this Moon; we can't give them the chance to do it again!" The console room juddered, as the Time Rotor shuddered into life. The TARDIS soared upwards, vanishing from the Moon's atmosphere and hurtling into the Time Vortex. The Doctor looked over to Amy and Rory, a mad grin on his face. Amy just laughed – Rory sighed with relief. "We made it!"<p>

Amy wandered into the console room. The Doctor was underneath the glass floor, tinkering with the TARDIS' mechanics. A pair of goggles sat lopsidedly on his fringe. "Hello Pond. What can I do for you?" He smiled.

Amy smiled back, before folding her arms. "Something's up with you." She walked down the staircase slowly, never taking her eyes off the Doctor. "You were acting funny in the temple – you were furious. Like properly, properly _angry_. I know that we missed some stuff because we were drugged or whatever, but something had you spooked." She had his full attention. "And I'm not leaving 'till you tell me."  
>The Doctor sighed, dropping the power tool and collapsing back onto the see saw. "You can be very stubborn at times, Amelia." He glanced at his watch, tapping it twice to try and correct the time showing on it. "While we were in the temple, some stuff happened."<br>"What stuff?" She sat on the bottom step, gazing into his eyes. Even his eyes looked different – they were dull and tired, not sparkling and full of enthusiasm.  
>"The Father spoke to me about what he wanted." The Doctor sat forward. "The Cult of Stone want to become the new Lords of Time. That's why they wanted the TARDIS." He showed her his bandaged hand. "And they were willing to do anything to get it." He peeled back the cloth slowly, revealing the Cult's dirty work. Amy's hands flew straight to her mouth. "Oh my god..." She cradled his stony hand.<p>

"The Cult slipped a poison into my drink – it's turning me to stone. Everything: blood, organs, tissue... All except for the brain. Turning to stone as I watch." At that moment, the Doctor both ancient and impossibly young at the same time.

"Well, we can fix it. We've got a Time Machine; we can just travel back and find a cure or something." Amy said, her voice cracking.

The Doctor flicked his fringe out of his eye. "According to the TARDIS, an antidote can be created using ingredients found across Time and Space," his shoulders slumped. "Unfortunately, she can't pinpoint their exact location."

Amy's frown deepened. "So what are you doing?"  
>"I'm trying to boost the signal, give the old girl a bit more power – that's the ticket!" He smiled as the Time Rotor groaned slightly. "Whatever the Cult did to pull us out of the Vortex, it drained a lot of her power – however, I've been able to refill her engines using only a Red Giant and a pair of garden shears: a pretty remarkable achievement really."<br>Amy didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned: but it was nice to have the Doctor back to his old self. "So, where's the first hit spot on our list?"  
>"Let's see." The Doctor jumped out of the see saw and raced up to the console. "Where's Rory, by the way?"<br>"Rory? Come on, Stupid Face!"

At that moment, Rory stormed down the steps to the Time Rotor. "Doctor, what is this-" He held Amy's cardigan aloft. "-doing in my room?"  
>"Well, that is your wife's cardigan, I'm sure she just-"<p>

"My wife?" Rory interrupted. "But I'm not married?"  
>Amy spun around in horror. "What do you mean?"<br>"Who are you?" Rory asked, his eyebrow arched. "Doctor, this isn't funny."  
>"I know." The Doctor frowned as he walked towards Rory. He took the Sonic Screwdriver from his toolbelt, shining it in Rory's eyes. "Why don't you remember Amy...?" He flicked the instrument, and checked the readings. "Oh no. Oh dear. This is not good, not good at all!" He plugged the Sonic into the Console, and swung the monitor round to face him. "There's no memory of Amy – you don't know she even exists."<p>

The Doctor turned to face the Ponds.

Amy sniffed as the tears rolled down her face. "Come on, Rory. I love you – I married you! You have to remember." She turned to the Doctor. "Why doesn't he remember me?" The Doctor glanced away, not wanting to meet her gaze. "Doctor, answer me!"  
>"I don't know!" The Doctor snapped, his eyes blazing. "Clearly what happened at the temple has affected all of us: Rory can't remember his wife and I'm turning to stone, I-"<p>

"You're turning to stone?"  
>"Shut up a minute Rory, I'm thinking." The Doctor paced around the console, smacking his forehead repeatedly. "They wanted to become Lords of Time; they have tonnes of nuclear weaponry: what am I missing here?" He paused. "Oh..."<p>

"What?"

"They're not just trying to bump me off, they're changing history. A whole, whacking great paradox unfolding before our eyes! I don't know how, but they're trying to break us apart before we can stop them." He turned to Amy. "And they're starting by erasing you from memory. That's why Rory can't remember you, and soon enough I'll forget too. Of course, I'll be a garden ornament by then, so don't take it personally." He sucked in air through his teeth, shaking his hand rapidly. The infection was spreading.

"Doctor, how long have you got?" Rory asked.

"Until I can't move? Ooh..." His head cocked to the side inquisitively as he pondered the question. "A day at the most? And until I'm completely turned to stone... 48 hours."

"Then we'd better get cracking."


	2. Part 2: The Day of Reckoning

Doctor Who

Part 2 – The Day of Reckoning

"You've got 48 hours 'till you die?"

"Yes. Well, no, not really. I'll be a statue in 48 hours, but my mind – my _consciousness_ – will live on for, let's say a decade before it starts to fall apart. So yeah, we had better get a wriggle on." He jabbed the Wibbly Lever absent-mindedly, before doubling over in pain.  
>"Doctor?" Amy rushed over, keeping him upright. Rory took his other shoulder – which hardened beneath his fingertips. "The infection's... spreading..." He groaned, forcing himself towards the TARDIS console. "But I'll be fine. I have enough fish fingers and custard to keep me going for a while." He smirked, twisting the dial on the monitor. "Now," he turned back to his companions.<p>

"According to the TARDIS' vegetation scanners, a plant which we need to create the antidote can be found on _this_ planet!" Right on cue, the circular screen embedded into the TARDIS wall flickered into life. The swirling Gallifreyan letters parted and a vibrant green planet formed in their place. "Concorthnia. A jungle planet, full of every kind of plant, animal or mixture of the two you could think of." He tapped a button on the console, and the image changed: the planet seemed to fold in on itself, leaving a dry husk. "That's what it looks like now." His expression darkened. "A casualty of the Time War. However, I've been able to place the planet in a Time Loop at the exact second the planet dies: it will affect everything on the planet, living or dead. Except for you two." He passed them both silver rods, which looked remarkably similar to the Sonic Screwdriver – but instead, stout cylinders rested on the head of the rods as opposed to the green crystal in the Doctor's instrument. "Inside both of these Soni- uh, inside both of these devices I've programmed the plant you're looking for: they should hum more rapidly the closer you get to it. When you've found it, press this button-" he indicated to a button on the side of the rod. "-And you'll signal the TARDIS to your location." He smiled, patting both of them on the backs. "Good luck, Ponds."

"What about you, Doctor?" Amy asked. "What will you be doing while we're out there with God-knows-what-else?"

The Doctor turned back to the console slowly. "I have some business to attend to myself." His head inclined back towards the Scot, who's expression told him everything. "I know you're worried, but don't. I'll be fine." He glanced at Rory, who simply looked bewildered. "I suppose I don't have to ask permission to hug her if you can't remember marrying her." Amy gripped him tightly, burying her head into his shoulder: and then into the other one, which wasn't made of stone. "By the end of the day, Rory _will _remember you again. I promise."  
>She nodded slowly, and the Ponds walked towards the TARDIS doors. "Good luck, Doctor." Rory brought his index and middle fingers to his forehead, and saluted at the Time Lord as he walked out into the mystery beyond the TARDIS doors. "Come along, Amy!" He called after his wife. The Doctor burst out laughing – then he saw Amy's face, and tried unsuccessfully to stifle his giggles. Her cheeks burning, Amy strode out of the doors after him.<p>

Leaving the Doctor and the TARDIS alone.

Again.

"So, we've got to find a plant exclusive to this planet, at the very second that it's destroyed?" Rory's shoulders sagged just thinking about the task.  
>"Rory, look." Amy pointed at one of the animals.<p>

Its head was sharp and angular, it's body rippling with muscles beneath a thin coat of fur. The carcass of its latest victim hung limply in its mouth. It strode a few paces, head shaking slightly...

It strode a few paces, head shaking slightly...

It strode a few paces, head shaking slightly...

It strode a few paces, head shaking slightly...

Again and again, it repeated the same motion – and when it came to the end of the cycle, it jerked backwards to where it began, and repeated it. And it wasn't just the creature: everything on the planet repeated the same movements, stuck in that one second.  
>"We have to move on." Rory said, moving slowly past the creature as it repeated it's walk cycle.<p>

The device hummed slowly in Amy's hand, and she twirled on the spot. The humming grew in volume rapidly when she was three quarters of the way through the motion, and she stopped abruptly. "This way!" She shouted to Rory.

But Rory wasn't there.

"Rory? Rory...? Where are you?"  
>Silence.<p>

"One day, I am really going to..." She muttered, storming around the path in the hope that Rory would come bumbling out behind one of the trees.

Then something collided with her ankle, and she was sent sprawling across the floor.

"Oh god..."

The creature had broken free of the time loop – and it was charging straight for her...

***  
>Rory sat up blearily. He was in the middle of a clearing, the plants and trees having been ripped away from this area by something. He rubbed his eyelids, as a figure swam into view ahead of him.<p>

Stubble hugged his jaw, and his eyes sparkled with a fiery intensity. His nose was sharp and pointed, and his hair sat messily on a bruised forehead. A shaggy bodywarmer was draped over his checked shirt.

"What the..." Rory stood up slowly, as he realised he was staring straight at himself.

"Hello." The other Rory said quietly. "Nice to see you, uh, me."

"What is this? Is this some kind of trick? Some kind of time distortion loopy woopy thing?"

"You've been hanging around the Doctor too much – you're starting to sound like him." The other Rory grinned.

"Why are you here? Where are you from? I'm not dead, am I?"

"Why is that the first thing that comes into your head when you wake up somewhere?"

"Force of habit." Rory shrugged.

"Good point."  
>Rory looked down at his own body warmer: it was clean and sharp, unlike the bedraggled Rory's directly in front of him. "Are you from my future?"<p>

Rory nodded slowly. "I came to warn you – you need to remember these words: wait, where's Amy?"

"Wait, where's Amy? Those are the words?"  
>"No! Where's Amy?"<p>

Rory turned. "I... I dunno. Who is she, anyway? Because she said she's my wife, but I'm not married."  
>Future-Rory's frown deepened. "You don't remember Amy?"<p>

Rory shook his head.

"Oh, right! Yeah, I remember now. Don't worry – when you remember her, she'll be hard to forget. But anyway. You need to remember Travells End."  
>"What?"<br>"Travells En- AAK!" Future-Rory groaned and collapsed backwards. Rory went to catch his future self, but he vanished before he hit the ground.

"Well... That was odd..."

Before Rory could ponder on the meaning of the mysterious vision, a shriek exploded through the clearing. "Amy..." he sprinted in the direction of the clearing.

The creature swiped and Amy dived, rolling over before its talons could lacerate her back. She kicked out, catching it in the stomach and it howled, before charging back at her. She scrambled to her feet, trying to put as much ground between it and her.

And that was when Rory charged out of the forest carrying a large wooden log.

"What the hell are you doing?"  
>"If I'm honest, I don't really know!" He lobbed the log at the creature, sending it flying into a nearby tree. The birds instantly broke free of the time loop, soaring into the confused skyline.<p>

"I thought it was in a bloody time lock!" Amy shrieked.

"Clearly whatever we touch breaks free of it," Rory said slowly. "Which means that we have to be quick." He withdrew the device from his jeans pocket, which practically exploded from the intensity of the humming.

"Oh..."

The tree was directly ahead of them. Gleaming golden leaves hung elegantly from crimson branches, which converged into the brilliantly scarlet trunk. It was a mesmerising sight.

"So we need one of the leaves, yeah?" Amy tiptoed towards the tree, careful not to wake up any other feral beasties the planet had to offer. She snapped one of the leaves clear of the branch, grinning.

The planet rumbled ominously.

"Rory, press the button, now."

He jabbed the device as the rumbling beneath their feet grew louder and louder. Great cracks formed in the sky as the planet around them withered and decayed.  
>"DOCTOR!" They screamed in perfect, terrified harmony.<p>

And then it bloomed into vision, the brilliantly blue box. The Doctor's head burst through the doorway. "Pond!" He grinned. "Well hurry up then, you'll catch your death out here: literally."

"Pond?" Amy said once they were clear of the planet. "As in, singular."  
>"Sorry, what? Oh, erm... AAK!" The Doctor jerked awkwardly as his right arm froze. "Not good..." He studied his stony limb before turning back to Amy. "Sorry, Amy. The Cult are wiping you from our minds, I suppose I was a bit sidetracked by, you know, this-" He gestured to his arm. "-And me mind slipped a bit. Sorry." He wheeled around, jabbing a button. "So, you got the leaf?"<p>

"Yeah." She held it up for him to inspect. "And then the entire planet fell apart around us."  
>"It did? Whoops... I, er, suppose I got the time loop settings a bit wrong..."<br>"But not before I giant lizard-leopard-y thing tried to eat me!"  
>The Doctor mopped his brow with his free hand. "Well, I suppose..." He collapsed awkwardly. "It's spread to my insides..." He wheezed. "My lungs are solidifying..." He staggered to his feet. "I managed to fetch another... ingredient while you were out there." He panted, showing her a tiny glass phial full of a sickly green liquid. "Dalek guano. You have no idea how hard this stuff is to find, let alone... retrieve!"<p>

Amy wrinkled her nose in disgust. "So how many more ingredients are there?"

"One... but..."

"But?" Amy twirled her hands, indicating for him to continue.

"The antidote can only be brewed on..." He slumped on the console before he could finish.  
>"Doctor... Doctor!" She shook his body desperately. His eyes blinked open, and he mouthed "<em>Wibbly Lever.<em>" She nodded, yanking the lever as the TARDIS span through the vortex.

***  
>"Will you be okay?" Rory asked, examining the Doctor's leg. The colour faded rapidly as flesh was replaced with stone. He nodded, shoving a crumpled piece of paper into his hand. "<em>Answer their questions. Find the heart. Press the button on the device. Good luck Pond.<em>" Rory nodded, as he and Amy departed the TARDIS. The Doctor stroked the console sadly, resigning himself to his fate. _No, they'll find the ingredients. Then we can be off – Rory and me. The Doctor and the Nurse._ The Doctor smacked his forehead, grunting as he realising that limb wasn't flesh anymore. _And Amy. The Girl who Waited... How could I forget her? She's certainly hard to forget!_ He chuckled – no mean feat. _I suppose I just have to wait it out until they get back. Come on Doctor. You can do it._ _Trust me... I'm the Doctor_. He grinned. _Now I'm having a mental conversation. Am I going mad? No, I've been mad for 700 years. Come on Doctor, don't give up now!_

"So, we need to answer questions, yeah?" Amy said, stumbling out of the TARDIS awkwardly.  
>"That's the one – are you okay?" Rory said, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.<p>

Amy nodded. "Yeah, yeah. Just, erm, stumbled, that's all."  
>Rory glanced around the cavern they had materialised in: it was a faint grey, with elaborate carvings etched into the wall. Elaborate carvings... Stone...<p>

"Oh no."

The TARDIS wheezed and grunted as it vanished from the cavern, small cracks darting up the wood panelling as it returned to space.

"That's not good... Amy?" Rory turned around to see Amy doubled over, clutching her chest. "Amy, are you okay?"

Her hands rose to her throat slowly as her eyes rolled back into her forehead. "AMY!" He cried, racing over to catch her wife as she slumped backwards. He scanned the cavern, looking for something that could help – something! There had to be something!

"Do not worry. She is unharmed."  
>The cavern was bathed in light, as a hooded figure descended towards Rory. His feet landed daintily on the stone ground and he knelt forward, touching Amy's forehead with a claw-like finger. She grunted slightly, before returning to her slumber. Rory was sure he heard a chuckle from beneath the robe.<p>

"Rory Pond, associate of the Healer. Welcome to Veltrax VI."

"You're, you're one of them, aren't you! One of those stone monks or whatever!"

The hood wobbled slightly as the figure beneath shook his head. "No, I am not one of the Cult of Stone. They betrayed us years ago: levelling Veltrax VI in the process." His tone was grave.

"The Cult of Stone betrayed you?"

This time the figure nodded. "Yes – they stormed through out monastery and killed most of my brothers. The Father, as he calls himself, and his 'Children'."

"So why am I here then?"  
>"Because the Healer is the only one who can stop them – and as I understand, he's in a spot of bother."<p>

"Yeah... how did you know?"  
>The figure chuckled – this time full of warmth. "You don't think I don't have spies in the Cult? No, I know everything the Cult do: and it sickens me.<br>"Which brings me to why you are here. Before I give you the ingredient your friend needs to save his life, I must first assess whether he deserves it or not."

Swift as an eagle, the figure darted across the room and scooped Amy up in his arms. A dagger protruded from his sleeve, and was dangling dangerously close to the young woman's neck. "Tell me Rory, who is this woman?"

"She's... She's Amy Pond. My wife."  
>"You don't sound certain. Are you sure she's your wife?"<p>

Rory panicked: he didn't have a clue who she was, but apparently she was his wife, the Doctor said so.

The Doctor said so.

"_You don't remember her, your own wife – something is very, very wrong."_

_The Doctor flashed the Sonic in Rory's eyes, frowning. _

"_Come on Rory – I'm your wife, I love you!" A tear trickled down her porcelain cheek._

"I..."

_He was in a park – birds tweeted lazily above his head. He looked slowly to his left, to see Amy Pond staring straight back at him. He grinned, before leaning in to kiss her. She burst out laughing suddenly, as Rory too late noticed the large log in the middle of the pathway. He stumbled awkwardly, before finding himself in Amy's arms – and suddenly, everything was alright._

"I remember... She's Amy Pond, and she's 22 years old. She used to work as a kissogram. She's my wife and I love her: so much so, I waited 2,000 years outside the Pandorica to save her life. I will do anything for her."  
>From deep beneath the hood, Rory could see a smile breaking out on the dark face. The dagger retreated into his sleeve, and he set Amy down on the stone floor. He tapped her forehead gently again, and she spluttered back into consciousness. "Rory?" She mouthed, glancing around for her husband. He sprinted towards her, sweeping her up in the largest embrace he could muster. "I will <em>never<em> forget you." He said, and she grabbed his body warmer lapels and pulled him into a passionate kiss. Her arms snaked round his back, and his did the same. The hooded figure looked slightly awkward observing this. "Well done." A vial materialised in his hands. "It appears that the Healer has taught you well: you were able to beat the time field the Cult placed around your wife and remember her again. Now take this." He motioned to the vial. "I fear the Doctor doesn't have much time left."  
>Amy took the vial, nodded her thanks, and pressed the button on the rod-like instrument.<p>

The TARDIS wheezed and groaned into existence before their eyes, the cracks deepening on the outer shell. "That's not good..." Rory mumbled slowly.  
>The doors creaked open, slamming to the side with a resounding finality.<p>

The Time Machine was silent.

"Doctor... _DOCTOR!_" Amy sprinted to the chair adjacent to the console room, fearing the worst. "No..."

The Doctor's limp form was sprawled across the stool, a pitiful look etched onto his face. A stone tear was frozen to his face. His eyes were dull and lifeless, his usually excitable and almost child-like personality having abandoned him. A crumpled and torn note lay in his right hand, his left hand cupped for some bizarre reason.

Rory joined Amy at the console, placing his hand on her shoulder. He kissed her cheek softly. Sniffing, she leant forward and retrieved the Doctor's note. "Dear Ponds," she began:

_I am writing this because I know that I will soon be dead – or, at least as good as. Unfortunately, THE poison as spread faster than we had predicted, and right now my lower half is completely statuesque. It appears that the poison speeds up as it INFECTION SPREAD. As a result, I don't have much time left._

_I just wanted to say thank you, Ponds (excuse me, my other hand has turned to stone – apologies if the writing quality changes in any way beyond this point). Thank you for helping me through my regeneration all those years ago, and TO both of you I am incredibly grateful for accompanying me through time and space in the TARDIS. The KEY to all of our adventures though, was that first night that I met you, Mrs Pond: fish fingers and custard and men falling out of police boxes and wibbly-wobbly-timey-wimey. And Rory, you are ten times the man I ever was, and I hope you take care of your missus as well as I think you will. Good luck, Mr Pond!_

_However, I have realised while I lay here that I must GIVE up my tardis TO THE CULT. I'm not sure if they're necessarily right for the job, but the universe needs a guardian: and I hope that they will fit the job description adequately._

_So goodbye Ponds: and good luck. Once you hand over the tardis to the Cult, she will return you home to Leadworth. Have a good life – make babies, wear hats and all of that other stuff. It was a pleasure spending time and space with you two._

_The Doctor_

_P.S I'm serious about the hat, Rory. Just remember: fezzes are most definitely cool!_

_ – could you place a mug of tea in my left hand? I think that would be a fitting send off._

Amy smiled sadly – the Doctor kept his sense of humour even until the end. But there was something off about the letter... Something they weren't seeing.  
>"What's wrong?" Rory asked, seeing her wife's quizzical expression.<p>

"There's something here: something in the letter. But what?" She proof-read it again, trying to pick out anything out-of-the-ordinary. "There." She pointed to two of the words. "'_It appears that the poison speeds up as it INFECTION SPREAD' – _that doesn't make sense, see?"  
>Rory nodded. "And it's in capitals, unlike the rest of it."<br>"Yeah... even TARDIS is in lower case, and the Doctor is really particular about how you write TARDIS." Then it hit her, with the resounding force of a sonic sledgehammer. "Oh, it's the capitalisation."  
>"What?"<br>"Look at the letters in capitals! _'THE INFECTION SPREAD TO TARDIS KEY GIVE TO THE CULT'. _Oh, that man. Very, very clever." She grinned.  
>Rory looked at the capital words again, smirking as he realised the Doctor's plan.<p>

"Just one problem."  
>"What?"<br>"How do we get the TARDIS to the Cult?"

Just as Rory asked the question, a new line appeared on the page. _"'WIBBLY LEVER'..." _

The Father slumped on his stone throne, a weary head resting haphazardly on his forearm. The TARDIS would be brought to them: he had no choice. And then... then they would ascend above all other mortals. This was the day they would rise above Gods, above the Lord of Stone himself!

Almost exactly on cue, the Police Box phased in front of him: deep cracks were appearing in her outer shell, but otherwise she was exactly as he had last seen her. Out of it stepped two slightly bedraggled people: the Orange Boy and the Nosey girl – no, it was the Orange Girl and the Nosey Boy. Humans were so hard to distinguish.

"Ah..." He sat forward, fingers steepled. "I see you have brought her back to us."  
>Amy Pond stepped forward, a slightly worn key clutched between her forefinger and thumb. "Take it." She snarled, dropping it into the Father's waiting palm.<br>"Thank you." He said mock-appreciatively, examining the key in the palm of his hand. "And now, we have no use of you." The floor around Amy and Rory began to warp, and suddenly two large stone structures were rising from the ground. The structures began to take a different shape, and before long Amy and Rory were trapped in two hemispherical stone cells.

"Amy..."  
>"Yeah?"<br>"The walls are closing in."

"Oh. Let us out!" She cried, banging on the shrinking cell.

"I'm afraid I can't." The Father laughed. "So sorry." He leaned in to the cell, and suddenly a viewport opened in the side so he could see her. "And I'm sure you won't be needing this-" His hand thrust through the hole and Amy sank her teeth into it as hard as she could. The Father roared and drew his other hand back, but Amy was quicker – she knocked it aside through the viewport, ripping the hood away from his face.

"What the-"

The Father's skin was blackened and tough, his lips practically non-existent. His eyes had no colour: they were a dull grey, like stone...

Like stone.

The Father withdrew his hand suddenly, smacking Amy aside.

"Amy! Don't you hurt her!" Rory shouted from within his stone hemisphere.

The Father glanced at his hand in horror as the toughened skin hardened and cracked – like stone. He moaned as his feet, then his legs followed suit. "_What have you done?_" He barked.

"The TARDIS key was infected – didn't you notice?" Mrs Pond smiled through her diminishing cell. "But _we_ have the antidote."  
>"But first, you have to let us go, and save the Doctor!" Rory shouted, his voice muffled.<p>

"Never." The Father snarled as his neck was consumed by the infection. His ears became stone, and they started to decay and wither. His eyelid twitched in horror. "Okay! Fine, fine!"

The stone cells parted, and Rory and Amy collapsed into each other's arms. The Father was nearly completely stone. "Go and save him." His hand disappeared into his sleeve, and out came a small vial. "This should be the final ingredient you need... It will heal the person even if they are already..." The Father realised what he was saying, and grinned. "Bottoms up." He raised the vial towards his rapidly solidifying lips.  
>"NO!" Rory charged towards the stony monk, tackling him to the ground. His eyes widened as his entire form became stone, which hurtled towards the earth at shocking speed. The statue's head shattered upon impact, along with the rest of his body. "I, uh..." Rory stood up slowly. "I didn't mean to do that."<p>

The vial lay in his broken grasp, astonishingly unbroken by Mr Pond's slide-tackle. He shook the dust off it and held it to the light. "So this is the final ingredient..." He turned to Amy. "Where's the leaf and the other vial?"  
>"In there." She motioned to the TARDIS, pausing briefly.<p>

"Come on! We don't have much time!"  
>They hurried through the doors and up to the console, where a small bag lay beside the Doctor's body. She withdrew the leaf and the other vial. "Well, what do we do with it?"<p>

"Erm..."  
>"Come on, you're a nurse!"<p>

"Yeah – I'm a nurse, not a witch Doctor! I, um, I guess we could try adding the leaf to a combination of the two liquids in the vial..."  
>"Well let's go!"<p>

Rory grabbed a mug from the TARDIS console, and poured both liquids inside. The solution bubbled and spurted. "Is that meant to happen?" Amy tore the leaf apart, throwing segments into the cup. The concoction fizzed and glowed a brilliant green. "So what do we do, throw it over him?"

Rory shrugged. "I guess that's all we can do."  
>He chucked the concoction over their stony friend, the green liquid absorbing into the stone.<p>

Nothing happened.

"Oh god..."  
>"No, wait! Look..."<p>

A faint breeze trickled through the TARDIS, stirring the Doctor's fringe as it passed.

His fringe.

Colour returned to the Doctor's face slowly, his hair parting and shaking in the wind. The breeze picked up in pace, faster and faster. His jacket billowed in the gale, his bowtie nearly being ripped from his collar. Rory and Amy clung on to the rail as hard as they could, trying to stay upright.  
>The Doctor's eyes snapped open.<p>

"Goodbye, Ponds... What?" He stood up, glancing around the TARDIS. "What's, going on?" He asked slowly. He brought his hand up to his face, grinning. "I'm... I'm not stone! I'm me!" He checked his clothes and ran his fingers through his unkempt hair. "I'm _me_! Oh, right. Brilliant. Oh, and..." He snatched the mug from Rory and threw the remaining contents over Amy. "She touched the TARDIS key – we can't take any precautions."

Amy shivered as the green liquid oozed down her back. "Nice to see you too, Doctor."  
>"Now, where's this Father fellow?" The Doctor strode down to the TARDIS doors, peering out. "I'd rather like to speak to him... what's that pile of rocks?"<br>"That's... that's the Father."

"It is?" The Doctor glanced from Rory to the rocks.

"It is."  
>"Oh. Why, may I ask, is the Father now a pile of rocks?"<br>"I may have, um... broken him." Rory muttered sheepishly.

The Doctor nodded, a bewildered expression plastered to his face. "Rory Williams, you are a very brave man sometimes. And also very daft."  
>"Doctor."<br>"Yeah?"  
>"Watch out!"<br>The Doctor ducked as a fist flew over his head. The rest of the Cult had arrived. "Hmm..." The Time Lord dodged another punch, twirling round the hooded figure and pulling back his hood.  
>A stony face turned to snarl at him.<br>"This day just keeps getting stranger... I love it." He grinned. "Stone monks that worship stone, created by a crazy man who likes stone and is now himself a pile of stones." The Doctor groaned as the monk's kick caught him in the crotch. "Clearly their feet are made of stone too."  
>"Doctor, the TARDIS!"<br>The Doctor glanced at the blue wooden panelling, which was beginning to fall apart.  
>"Oh." He shoved his attacker aside and slammed the door shut, Sonic-ing the keyhole. "That should hold them for about 2 seconds." He sprinted to the console and kicked it sharply, before pressing two red buttons. He yanked a blue lever as far as it would go, punched the dimensional stabiliser, and tugged the Wibbly lever for all it was worth. The TARDIS screamed in refusal as the knocking and shoving at the door suddenly stopped. "The TARDIS sent out a frequency which can shatter stone: they fell apart before they knew what hit them."<br>"So we're safe?"  
>The Doctor smiled at the Ponds. "We're safe. Now come here!" He gripped both of them in a bear hug, as the Time Machine drifted away from Veltrax VI.<p>

***  
>"So..." Amy wandered down beneath the console, to find the Doctor once again fiddling with wires and cables. "You okay?"<br>"Yeah – you?"  
>"Fine." She nodded. "So what happens to the Cult then?"<p>

"Without any of the monks, it's just an empty monastery. Interestingly enough, it stayed standing when the frequency was emitted: clearly there's more to that building than meets the eye. But that's an adventure for another day – there we go!" The TARDIS hummed cheerily. "Just fixed the outer shell: I don't know what those nasty monks did to you old girl, but you're right as rain now, eh?" He stroked the console, seemingly forgetting Amy was there.

"Um, Doctor..."  
>"Oh, right! Sorry." He leapt out of his see saw, bounding up the stairs. "Mr Pond?"<br>Rory emerged from one of the many corridors, jogging down to meet him. "You know what I said about that fez?"  
>"Yeah...?"<p>

Grinning, the Doctor thrust his hand into one of his cavernous pockets. Impossibly, he then pulled out a perfectly-un crumpled scarlet fez. Brushing the dust off, the Time Lord plonked the hat on Rory's head.

"I think it suits you."  
>"You would."<p>

"Right!" He rubbed his hands together, turning to Rory and Amy. "Where to?"  
>"Doctor?" Amy ascended the stairs, staring him in the face. "I thought I heard something back in the monastery: some weird noise after the Father was killed."<br>"Oh, just some field residue left after he shattered: the monastery was built on top of a rift, so it probably created a little echo of his consciousness." He twisted a dial, and the TARDIS jerked violently. "I think that was meant to happen." He grinned, yanking another lever. "Let's see if we actually make it to the Eye of Orion this time..."

Amy smiled, but couldn't shake the feeling that the Doctor was lying about the monastery. There had been _something_ there.

"_The Clock will chime and the Astronaut will Rise..."_

"_The Silence will fall when the Doctor dies..."_


	3. Epilogue: The Doctor Lies

Epilogue – The Doctor Lies

Rule one: once again, it had come into play.  
>Not out of choice, of course: no, if the Doctor had had his way then he would have told Amy and Rory what he had found at the monastery as soon as he could. Of course, that had slipped his mind: understandable if it's slowly turning to stone. However, even after that ordeal had finished the Time Lord neglected to tell his companions about the readings he had picked up while scanning the rift.<p>

A groaning filled the monastery hall. Low, guttural, wheezing. It wasn't clear where it was coming from at first – sure enough though, the Blue Box that accompanied the noise faded into existence. The doors creaked open, and the Doctor disembarked his ship. Black boots crunched on the ruined monastery floor, emerald green trenchcoat flapping around his ankles. He stepped over the dusty pile of rocks that had once been the Cult's tyrannical leader – wincing as a stony eyeball shattered beneath his foot._  
><em>

_Creeeeeakk._

Almost at once the Sonic Screwdriver was in hand and he twirled, scanning area immediately surrounding him. Silence.

_Creeeeeakk._

The Sonic's tip sprang forward and the Time Lord brought the device to eye-level. He stared at the numbers and insignias blinking on the dial: not noticing the shadow falling across his back.

_WHUMP!_

The Doctor hurtled across the room, landing awkwardly on his back. The Sonic flew from his grasp and landed metres away. The figure dashed sideways, snatching the Screwdriver up as he ran.  
>Groaning, the Doctor forced himself to his feet, readjusted his Stetson, and staggered forward in pursuit.<br>The figure seemed to tire quickly, and instead whirled round to face the Doctor. It thrust its free hand forward and lightning crackled towards him.  
>"Oh."<br>Once again, the Doctor was off his feet. As the ground rushed up to meet his face, the figure regarded the Sonic Screwdriver. Then, like a child disinterested in a Christmas present, it tossed it aside.  
>The Doctor squinted, trying to make out just who his assailant was. It was fairly tall, but shapeless: practically impossible to describe. It shimmered a bloody crimson, and dissipated. "Well," the Time Lord mumbled, brushing himself off. "I must say, I wasn't expecting <em>that<em>."

"Oh, I wasn't expecting that at all."  
>The Sonic Screwdriver beeped and buzzed from its socket on the TARDIS Console, as data was transferred to the monitor the Doctor was currently staring into. "But... No, it's got to be a faulty reading." He tapped the monitor repeatedly and the image blurred, but returned to clarity once again once the Doctor withdrew his hand.<br>"That's very, extremely, _superbly_ bad." Doffing his Stetson, an impish grin sprung onto the Doctor's face. "Brilliant."


End file.
